Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-07-28
Life and Love.

Once, In the long ago, when Life and Love
Walked ever hand in hand,
They came to earth from some far realm above,
And wandered through the land
Much they did find wherein their art to try
For them the world was new;
They shook the sunbeams from the bended sky,
And stepped the ground with dew
opon the fields the emerald turf they spread,
And clad the hills in green;
They laid the meadows in the vale, and led
The glittering streams between.
Life lifted up the flowers throughout the land
By woodland slope and fen;
Love stopped and touched them with her glowing
hand,
And they have bloomed since then.
Life taught the birds to build within the brake
And clothed each tiedgling's wing;
Love lifted up her voice but once to wake
The song which now they sing.
Thus ever hand in hand they journey on.
From sea to sunlit sea.
Their garments had the freshness Of the dawn
Which wakes the Towering lea.
And journeying, thus, at length they found a
child
New risen from the sod
Life frowned, and said, ''He is a beast" Love
smiled
And said. ne isa qod,"
Thenwere their hands di.joined and from the
Betwixt the twain arose
A dark and shadowy figure, sorrow-crowned.
And draped in sable woes.
Because that Natures tenderest demands
Did seem of little worth,
From henceforth Life and Love their parted
hands
Shall joine no more on earth.
For this the flowers shall haste to fall and fade.
The wood and field turn sere,
And all the songstars OF the summer glade
Fly with the changing year.
Lite lifted up the child and gave him birth,
And he did walk between
Love on the right, Life on the left--ard Death
Did follow, all unseen.
What wilt thou give" said Life, land will
Thine eyes the path Of fame.
And lead thee there, that after-years shall know
And wonder at thy nameg
''All," saith the child, that Fate shall bring to
And all that Fame can give
To heart and mind-all will give to thee,
III shall always live"
But Love stopped low and gently drew his head
Against her broad white breast.
What wilt thou give to me, she softly said
And will give thee rests'
"Alas !" he answered, II am now bereft
3 OF all might control.
One gift remains-myself alone am left
To the give my soul"
Love put her sandals on his naked feet,
And in her tender care
Gave him her broidered garment, soft and sweet
Such as god might wear.
She grit his body with the golden zone
Loosed from her own warm breast;
And on his lips the imprint OF her own
She passionately pressed.
And in his heart she lit the aeathless are
Which rests not night nor day,
But still doth turn the soul with fond desire
To Beauty's path Away.
So they did journey, and the land was fair;
Each day was like dream
In which the soul moves with moving air
Along some crystal stream.
But Life began TO weary Of the way,
Such tickle heart hath she,
And though Love plead with tears, she would
not stay,
But shook her fair hand free.
Then Death came swiftly up in silent might,
With arms outstretched and cold,
And bare the child back to the land OF Night
To mingle mould with mould
But Love still jouneyed on from scene TO SCENE
To find some land of rest
And ever at her side a soul did lean
Close to her faithful breast.
Long ages have rolled by. Earth's children find
Life false and tickle still
Her promises are fair, but she. unkind
Forsakes them all at will.
The path is sweet and blooming still the same
AS in that ancient day,
And sable Death still follows hard, to claim
The sonl-forsaken clay,
And still she lives whose dear divine control
Nor Life nor Death can sever;
And journeying still the unimprisoned soul
Goes on with Love forever.
: Robert Burns Wilson. in Harper'4 Magazine
'or August,